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Opal Mines in Australia

Australia’s Opal mines are so big that not even
the rest of the Opal mines in the world combined could match their
size. It is of no surprise that the Opal is Australia’s national
gemstone. Australia produces about 90% of the world’s supply of
Opal. Today, Australia’s Opal production has decreased due to
increased fuel costs, restrictions on the use of explosives in mining
and an out of date and antiquated mining laws. The most important
Opal mining fields are: Mintabie, Lambina, Lightning Ridge, Winton,
Quilpie and Coober Pedy.

Mintabie Opal Mines

Mintabie
Opal Mines are one of the main sources of Black Opal along with
Lightning Ridge. Mintabie is situated about 35 km west of Marla, or
350 km northwest of Coober Pedy. This mine field was discovered in
the 1920s and it gained its status as a commercial field in the
1980s, due to an increase in good Opal production. In the 80’s,
Mintabie was the main source of precious Opal in Australia and had a
population of about 500 miners who worked and lived on the field.

Lightning Ridge Opal Mines

Located
about 600 km north of Sydney, it is the world’s main source of
Black Opal. The first finds of Opal in Lightning Ridge date back to
the early 1870s. This Opal mining field gained its named due to a
potent electrical storm that killed a man, a dog and 600 sheep while
taking refuge on a ridge. Most of the Opal found in Lightning Ridge
is Dark, Black and Crystal, and some opalized fossils. Opal found in
this mining field is usually found in nodules called “nobbies”,
which are considered to produce Opals of high quality. Mining may be
done in the form of open cut on the famous Lunatic Hill, which covers
a wide area and enables the removing and processing of Opal dirt.

Queensland Opal Mines

Queensland
opal mining fields
cover a large part of the state of Queensland and are the main source
of the world’s supply of Boulder Opal. Boulder Opal is a unique
type of Opal which is usually found attached to ironstone. Mining is
usually done in the form of open cut operations. Some of the more
important locations of Queensland fields are Eromanga, Jundah,
Opalton, Koroit and Yowah.

Cooper Pedy Opal Mines

Coober
Pedy is located 750 km north of Adelaide. Coober Pedy got its name
from the Aboriginal words ‘kupa piti’, meaning “boy’s
waterhole”. The “dugouts” are one of the more prominent aspects
of this Opal mining field. The “dugouts” are underground homes
where people live due to the high summer temperatures which sometimes
exceed 50°C. Most of the Opal found is Crystal and Light Opal, and
very little of the more dark hued Opals.

It
is best to visit Opal fields during the months of April and
September, avoiding summer due to the high temperatures and heavy
rain.